Endoscopic surgical methods and devices are often preferred over traditional open surgical methods and devices because the use of a natural orifice tends to reduce post-operative recovery time and complications. Consequently, significant development has gone into a range of endoscopic surgical devices that are suitable for precise placement of a working end of a tool at a desired surgical site through a natural orifice. These tools can be used to engage and/or treat tissue in a number of ways to achieve a diagnostic or therapeutic effect.
The ability to manipulate a tool at a surgical site can be limited. For example, the devices and methods used to place a tool endoscopically can restrict its movement relative to the surgical site, to the endoscope, or to other tools. Many endoscopic procedures require that surgical tools be manipulated in ways difficult to achieve due to these restrictions. For example, oftentimes it is desirable that the working end of a tool be rotated, or moreover that the tool be rotated with a reasonably precise degree of control. Such rotation may be hard or impossible due to the shape, size and capabilities of the endoscopic device used and/or the lack of suitable controls for remotely effecting suitable movement. In other cases, it may be desirable to revolve or orbit the working end of one tool around that of another tool. For example, in a resection procedure it may be desired to revolve a cutting tool around tissue held by a grasping tool to create a circular incision. These procedures, and others, would benefit from improved devices and methods for effecting such movement of tools at a surgical site, and from devices and methods for effecting such movement remote from the surgical site or from a proximal end of the tools or endoscope placed at the surgical site.
Accordingly, there is a need for improved devices and methods for manipulating tools at a surgical site.